Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

Welcome to Term 3. I hope you all had a lovely holiday break and were able to spend some time relaxing and refreshing. It has been wonderful to welcome the children back to school and hear about some of the adventures that took place over the holidays.

During the holidays, I read the McCrindle report on The School of the Future: 10 Trends Shaping the K-12 Sector in Australia and New Zealand (2022) and I believe it accurately reflects much of the situation we have at Emanuel. Unsurprisingly, it states that schools have increased expectations to not only address academics, but to provide a more individualised system that also focuses upon wellbeing, digital integration and character formation. The report highlights increased expectations on schools to address more areas than ever before, as well as remaining thorough communicators and at the forefront of technology. Our contexts and systems are more complex and diverse than ever, at a time when parents are often stretched due to their own busy work and family commitments. My initial reaction to the report was to feel quite deflated at a picture of increased pressure on all stakeholders. Whilst this is true, it also created cause to celebrate when I consider how well the Emanuel staff and community are embracing these opportunities and challenges. Whilst these are challenging times, our community certainly works together for the good of our students and I am so proud of what we have been able to achieve. I truly believe that there is an excellent balance of all these important areas, and more, at Emanuel and I feel blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing team!

Welcome to Gena Yeomans and Leanne Cresswell

I would like to welcome two new staff members to the Primary team. Gena Yeomans is my new EA and joined Emanuel last week. She has a wealth of experience in administration at various schools and is a wonderful addition to the team. Leanne Cresswell has begun the term as the new teacher of Year 6 Rehovot. Leanne has experience both here and in the UK and has already settled in quickly. She is an excellent educator and we are very lucky to have her on board. 

Term 3

Term 3 is always a very busy term with many events and activities. Here is a snapshot of some important ones to keep in mind:

Keep Them Safe sessions
The students in Years K, 1, 3 and 5 are involved in a child protection program that explores consent, safe and unsafe situations and ways to manage in times of difficulty. Thank you to those parents who attended this week’s parent information session. It is incredibly important to give the children consistent and research-based information.

Project Heritage
Year 6 students begin Project Heritage next week and we look forward to welcoming our Living Historians onto campus as we learn about their lives, families and values. Our final presentation is at the end of Term 3.

Sport and Recreation Camp
Our Years 3, 4 and 5 students attend Sport and Recreation camp in Week 7. A parent information night will be held on Zoom on Wednesday 3 August 2022 in order to provide information about this event.

Years K-2 Shabbat
We look forward to welcoming Years K-2 parents onto campus for a Shabbat service this term. If you would like to join us, they are taking place at 8.20 am – 8.50 am on the following dates:

• Friday 5 August 2022: Year 1 visitors
• Friday 19 August 2022: Year K visitors
• Friday 26 August 2022: Year 2 visitors

JCA-athon
Each year, we have a fundraising event and the JCA match whatever we raise, dollar for dollar. This program has sponsored many initiatives on campus including sporting equipment, table tennis tables and the chill zone. Watch out for information about this year’s athon which will be held on Friday 12 August 2022.

Parent Teacher Nights
There will be two nights for Parent Teacher interviews towards the end of term. We will offer one night on Zoom and one on campus, aiming to provide opportunities for different parent preferences.

Other events and activities keeping this term exciting and interesting include:
Aladdin Jnr rehearsals, inter-school chess, debating and sport events, author visits, incursions, excursions and ICAS assessment. Music highlights include Musica Viva and, the Night of Instrumental Music on Wednesday 24 August 2022.

Brace yourselves…there’s a lot on and I can’t wait!